Simultaneous Hearts
by Lov3good
Summary: When Paul came back from Iraq, love wasn't on his mind. But now he realises that a lot can happen in one month. And it only takes a second. AU Paul/OC story! AH! SoldierPaul!
1. You Made It Back

_Disclaimer: Nothing is mine except the plot._

_A/N: Alright, so this is my third (!) Paul story. And I've decided to take a whole new path for this one. For one, this is no wolf story, so no imprinting either. This is an AU story on which I'll focus on Paul and his life. I thought it'd be nice to try a different approach. Especially because I already have two other stories in which Paul is a wolf. And anyways, I have this strange obsession with Army men, so Paul here is a soldier. I mean, I can totally picture him like that, can you? So that noted, I hope you guys will like it :) The first chapter will be is in his POV. Let me know how I did, because I'm very nervous about this one :) _

_Again this is not a supernatural story! But hopefully just as good!_

_Song used **Paperweight **by **Joshua Radin **and **Schuyler Fisk**_

_You Made It Back_  
**  
Paul POV**

It is funny how things work. Often I don't even have a clue how some things end up the way they end up. Questioning them would be a waste of time, for I knew I could rack my brains for answers I would never even get. Acceptance was a start, and if someone had told me that from the start it would've saved me a lot of migraines. And of course I never got those answers. Apparently I'm a funny guy once I have a migraine. Or that was what Angela told me. For someone so young she sure did have a tactless way of conveying things. Sometimes I wondered if she was not a thirty-year-old, stuck in a six-year-old body. Then again, I knew better. So I can safely say, that there is not thirty-year-old in my little sister's body. She's autistic. And I am the only one she comes remotely close to. I often wondered what was going on in that little head of hers. And if I asked I only got one sort of response.

"Angela is good at keeping secrets." She refers to herself as a third person. I never exactly knew when that started. Just, that it happened when our mother left. She was only a two year old. But from that moment, she was Angela, she was not an I.

I guess it was up to me to take care of her now.

"Paul, over here!" I looked up and saw Jared Purser. He beckoned me to join him and his fiancée Kim Mabe at the fire. La Push was famous for their bonfires and it was only natural we lived up to that. Tonight, First beach was filled up with La Push locals and some from Forks. There were even some familiar faces from Port Angeles.

I made my way towards Jared and Kim. Kim's smile almost blinding me. How someone could be so happy all the time surprised me. Her short hair was black and her russet skin was glowing in the dark. She was just like any other Quileute, physique wise. Same went for Jared. High cheekbones, russet skin, dark eyes and hair. We were nothing special honestly. If only the others saw that too.

"Paul!" Kim exclaimed. Her voice was pitched high, my eyes met Jared's and I knew our little Kim over here was a bit more than tipsy. She stumbled over her feet and I reached out to steady her. She latched onto my arm. "It's so good to see you! How have you been? How long are you going to be here?" She demanded. Her voice was surprisingly steady, but then again, her actions weren't. I guess she had to compensate somehow.

"A month." I responded. "Then I'll be deployed again." Jared gave me a tight smile and he reached out with his hand, hitting my bicep once.

"Good to have you here again, bro!" He said and I could see the sincerity behind it. Jared Purser was such a sap. I grinned, nodding at him.

"Good to be back!" I said and Kim pushed herself between the two of us. Her head reaching my shoulder. I raised my eyebrows, knowing what she was waiting for. "So give me the scoop!"

The scoop entitled Kim telling me the new gossip. La Push was a small reservation, nothing truly happened so us locals had to keep ourselves busy. Especially since it's been four months since I've last been here. Basically, it was just gossiping and yes, I felt like an old married couple as Kim filled me in but hey, it was tradition. And who was I to break our tradition. I sat down as Jared handed me a beer. The cold breeze evoked shivers on my russet skin and I gulped down some beer as I listened to Kim.

"Well, Sam Uley is now with Emily Young. He left Leah Clearwater a few weeks ago." I raised my eyebrows.

"Really?"

"Yup." Kim popped the p. "Horrible thing to do, if you ask me. But hey, who am I to judge, right?" She gave me another smile, her dimples showing. I shook my head. If Kim was good at one thing, it was judging people. She was like that. "Anyways, you remember Chief Swan, right? Well, Bella Swan and Jacob Black got together because Edward Cullen left town. But I wonder how long it will take before Swan will run back to Cullen." I scoffed.

"Not too long, knowing Bella." Jared scoffed from besides me. Capricious Bella Swan, she was a sweet little thing but looks can deceive and that's the case with Bella Swan.

"Anyhow." Kim interrupted, giving Jared a glare for cutting in. "There isn't much to tell you this time. I guess things are finally catching up huh?" I patted her head and she quickly moved away, smoothing her hair down again. "Oh, before I forget to tell you. There is a new girl in town." I nodded, not quite interested.

"Save it Kim." Jared piped up. "You're not going to play matchmaker."

She gave Jared an incredulous look. "That wasn't my intention Jared. I just said there was a new girl. Ava." She turned her eyes to me, there was a sparkle I didn't like. "Sweet person. You know the Phillips, right Paul?" I nodded.

"Yeah what about them?" I asked. The Phillips were a wealthy family that was respected highly by the council. Their children had moved to another state, so now there were alone. The Phillips were an eighty something year old couple that we all regarded as Nana and Pops. They were incredibly nice and we often wondered what happened to their children. Last I heard was that Ryan Phillips moved to New England. Settling down there with his family.

"Well, Ava is their granddaughter." Kim looked at me expectantly.

"And?"

She let out an exasperated sigh. "Well, the thing is. I met her yesterday and she teaches piano lessons to the locals over here. She's really good. She graduated from Juilliard you know." Kim added.

"Then what the hell is she doing here?" I demanded. If she was as brilliant as Kim thought she was then what was she doing in this hole?

Kim shrugged. "Not exactly sure. There was an accident with her parents and well. They passed away." I softened hearing that. "I guess she needed her family." That was understandable so I nodded. "She's supposed to be here somewhere." Kim said. "Do you want to meet her?" She asked, her eyes already searching the crowd and I raised my eyebrows.

"Uhh, no thanks Kim. I'm pretty good here." She shrugged, flicking her hair with her hand.

"Suit yourself."

Kim didn't say anything about the Phillips anymore. And soon I was overwhelmed by our friends. Seth Clearwater, Jacob Black, Embry Call, Quil Ateara, Brady Miller, Collin Webber, Sam Uley and Leah Clearwater. Only I didn't speak with the latter. She chose to steer away from me. I guessed it was because of Sam. He even had the fucking audacity to introduce Emily to me when Leah was seeing all of it. I was torn between pounding his face or comforting Leah. Leah and I had a history. She was there for me when I needed her and I was there for her when Harry, her father, passed away. And then I went to Iraq. Slowly we lost touch as she got more involved with Sam and soon there wasn't much for us to talk about. But she still was someone I held dear, Sam or no Sam.

I never thought of being in the army. I sort of ended up there. And I was content with that. Heck, I had no other aspirations at all, this was all I knew. Content was the best I could do, so complaining was out of the fucking question. I grabbed another bottle of beer and nodded to Jared that I was going out for a walk. He nodded and bent down to kiss Kim before moving towards me. He grabbed his sweater and shrugged it on as both of us moved down the beach. Passing many fires and people. Most of them drunk. I guess that was the best they could possibly do. Twenty-five and the only thing to look up to was a bonfire in La Push. Yeah, it could be worse.

"So how was it there?" Jared asked. Jared always was one of the closest friends I had. I was truly lucky to have him around, despite my many flaws and stupid actions of years ago, he still stuck around. I shrugged.

"Don't ask." Was my standard answer and Jared didn't push me. He just nodded slowly and put his hands in his jeans.

"Picked a date for the wedding?" I asked. I wanted to keep the conversation flowing. I couldn't afford my mind to stray.

"Yeah, we were thinking of doing it next summer. So you'd be here with us." I smiled nodding.

"I'll be here." I promised.

"You better. Kim is going to skin you alive if you use another excuse, man! And I'm not going to hold her back this time." I let out a laugh. My laughter echoing in the silence now we've reached the cliffs. Kim has threatened me more than once, but all of them were empty. As if she'd harm me. She was far too fond of me to do such a thing. I let out a deep sigh. My breath cool in the summer air.

The summers in La Push never were warm. I remember that it even snowed once, that was a few years back. Naturally, all of us got used to the chill and we now learned to adapt to the weather. We don't let it rule our activities. It safe to say that once you're used to it all you can appreciate the beauty that surrounds La Push. The tall, dark trees. The eerie forests. All of it was frighteningly green but I barely saw that in Iraq. And I never realized that I missed it, till I got back.

A loud, piercing shriek however, cut off any trail of thought and my eyes snapped to Jared. His eyes stood wide and surprise was written all over it. I knew that this was no shriek of fun. Both of us moved to the cliffs and we climbed to the top in record time. Voices were now getting louder and I was able to decipher words from each other. There was an overload of testosterone, that was obvious.

"Let me go!" She sounded agitated and her voice was high. I reached the top of the cliff the second I saw her fall to the ground. Her dark hair was messy and her jeans were ripped. I wasn't quite sure if that was the intention or if it was the consequence of those dicks. She was surrounded by three guys. Two of them drunk and the other well on his way.

"Hey, let her go!" I yelled. A rush of anger went through me. Ganging up on a girl was one of the few things that truly pissed me off. She was roughly pulled to her feet and I felt my breathings halt the second our eyes met. Her eyes were a simple brown but God, it was beautiful. Her face was dirty with tears and sand. Her round face stood shocked. I had no fucking idea who this girl was.

"Why don't you get lost Masen!" One of them exclaimed and I saw to my irritation it was Drake Garwin. If I had to have an arch-nemesis it had to be him. Both of us hated each other's guts. "We're just having fun."

"Yeah." One of his puppets chimed in. "We're just showing Ava how to cliff dive." My eyes met Ava's again and I could see that this was everything but fun. "Wanna demonstrate Masen?"

"Let her go Garwin!" I said steadily and to my surprise I moved forward, ready to pull her out of Garwin's grip.

Things happened in fast forward after that. Garwin, thinking he was funny, pushed her over the edge. Her scream still echoing before she hit the water. I cursed and pushed Garwin out of the way before I jumped in after her myself. It was hard to calculate the fall once the lights are turned off and I had a hard time to see anything. I hit the water and the freezing temperature took my breath away. I wasn't quite sure how long it took me to scratch up my bearings but suddenly I could see something white and I hoped it was Ava. I swam towards her and grabbed her arm before I pulled her up. She wasn't responding and I wondered why she wasn't swimming. The waves weren't that dominant, she should be able to swim out of the water.

Once the air hit our faces she gasped and I could see that she had swallowed a lot of water. Her cold hands grabbed my shoulders and her nails dug into my skin, most definitely leaving an imprint. I wrapped one of my arms around her waist before I moved back to the shore. A crowd already forming. A rush of anger went through me again, how fucking stupid could Garwin be? If this was who I thought it was then he was in a shit load of trouble. You don't push a Phillips over the cliff without paying the price. Stupid ass.

At some point I didn't have to swim anymore and I swung Ava in my arms, her head lolling against my arm. I shook her a few times as I moved to the beach but she barely responded. Her skin was starting to turn blue and I tightened my grip on her, pressing her closer to me, hoping she'd be able to use my warmth as her own. God, please don't die on me. I chanted.

"Ava!" Someone exclaimed and I saw it was Leah. "What happened? Is she alright?"

"Garwin pushed her off the cliff." Leah cursed and I laid Ava down. Her head balancing on my hand. I pushed away a few strands of wet hair and cupped her cheek. Shaking her again. "Ava? Can you hear me?"

"She needs CPR!" Leah said and I pressed my lips together, knowing she was right. Well, fuck!

I quickly pressed my lips against hers, prying them open before blowing some air. She reacted immediately and I was grateful for that. Her eyes snapped open and she coughed loudly, I turned her on her side, the water pouring out of her mouth. So she did swallow a lot of water. I found myself rubbing her back in a comforting way and I quickly stopped. What was I doing? And why were my lips tingling?

"W-what h-happened?" Ava stuttered and she tried to sit up straight. I grabbed hold of her shoulders and pushed her on her back again.

"Take it easy." Leah ordered. Behind her were Jared and Kim. Kim holding a blanket and she quickly wrapped Ava in it. Ava gave Kim a grateful smile and I could see the small dimple in her left cheek. A strange churning in my stomach appeared.

"I'm gonna kill that son of a bitch!" I muttered lowly as Jared re-told the story to Ava. I could see the brief panic in her doe like eyes and I felt some pity for the girl. This wasn't really a nice way for a new start, or was it? Ava's eyes then turned to me.

"-good thing Paul was around!"

"Y-you jumped in..." She was shaking and I pulled her closer to my side. "after me..." She blinked a few times. I nodded. My cheeks felt warm and I realized there was a blush on my face. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." I muttered and I gave her a smile when suddenly I heard a siren. An ambulance.

"Someone must've called the ambulance." Kim noted and I could see Ava cringe. The embarrassment clear on her face. I found the sight slightly amusing. But only because she would scrunch up her nose, making her dimples even more prominent.

"But I'm okay!" She protested and she turned her eyes to me again. I found myself drowning on dry land. "Thanks to Paul."

"Yup, that's Paul for you!" Leah piped up. I could hear the mirth in her voice. "Our own local hero."

She didn't avert her eyes, despite the mockery from the others and I realized that she had no eye for that. I pulled away from her drowning gaze and realized that I was soaked myself. And now the cold was truly getting to me. Suddenly a dark blue blanket was wrapped around my shoulders and I saw Kim behind me. She gave me a smile before pecking me on the cheek. Her eyes filled with sibling affection. I ruffled her hair in response. I could see the EMTs move in our direction. Apparently we had attracted a crowd. Suddenly I felt a weight against my chest and as I looked down I saw Ava's head resting. Her eyes were closed and a stab of panic went through me. I shook her gently and her beautiful eyes opened sluggishly.

"Don't fall asleep." I ordered. I hoped the tone of her voice wouldn't chase her away. "Come on." I wrapped my arm around her waist and pulled her to standing position with me. The EMTs were now with us and I pushed her towards them. "Check her out first."

"I'm alright." She protested. "I'm just tired." The fatigue in her voice was very obvious to hear and I felt a slight wave of worry wash over me. The EMT gave her a soothing smile in response and lead her to a more suiting spot as I was confronted with another EMT.

"So what happened?" He asked and I glanced at the back of Ava's head.

Maybe she felt it, or maybe it was just me but she turned around and our eyes met again. And despite the fact both of us were moving in different directions I felt something. Something I couldn't explain. It took hold of me and filled me up with unfamiliarity. I wondered what the fuck it meant. I wondered if I was the only one who found it important enough to care.

Ava gave me a smile.

Or maybe she felt it too.

"No fucking idea, man." I muttered to the EMT. "No fucking idea."

_A/N: So how was it? Gag worthy? Or should I continue?_


	2. No Seven Nation Army Could Hold Me Back

_Disclaimer: Don't own anything at all! All SM's except the plot and people you don't recognize._

_A/N: So incredibly sorry for the delay but I have so many hassles these few weeks and hopefully you guys can find it in your heart to forgive me :( Anyways, the response for the first chapter surprised me so much! I never knew people would be so open to it. Especially since it's a tad different from your usual Twilight fic! But despite the usual clichés I'm glad you guys like it :) So kudos to all you reviewers out there! You truly make my day!_

_Song used** Seven Nation Army **by** The White Stripes.**_

_No Seven Nation Army Could Hold Me Back_

**Paul POV**

"_Masen Move!" A loud blast cut off any protest that lay on my lips and I felt the flames lick at my back. The heat unbearable as it took hold of every corner. I could feel the rough texture of the sand on the bare skin on my face and I cursed out loudly for being distracted. If there was one thing I should've learned by now it would've been the fact that being distracted was the first fatality flaw. I could feel the stupidity set in. Another blow and I crouched down as pillars of dust fell down on me. The heat was unbearable and I felt like I was starting to melt._

"_What the fuck Masen?" Jackson spat from a few yards away. "Get the fuck out of there!" My head was buzzing with the sounds of people and blasts and for a second it felt like I had completely forgotten my training. So this is how it felt to be thrown into a sea full of sharks. "MASEN MOVE!"_

_I grabbed hold of my handgun as I couldn't locate the sniper and crawled through the rubble to shadows in this hell hole. I leant against the wall as another shot was fired. From my peripheral vision I could see Jackson of my far left and Wilson on my right. Both of them were armed and well and I realized I had put this whole mission in jeopardy. I scrunched my eyes shut before fervently putting my anger into reloading my gun. My gloved hands made it impossible to feel anything else but the rough texture of the inside of the gloves. For some reason it felt like the tips of my fingers were bleeding, the only indication that there was something physical going on. I let out a harsh breath._

"_How many?" I shouted at Jackson as I saw him reload his sniper before aiming another shot. One that was particularly close to me. _

"_Stay low Masen!" Jackson responded and I felt a wave of irritation. Their mannerism towards me for being the youngest was getting old and I was known for having a short fuse. _

"_Stop fucking around!" I shouted. "How many?" _

"_Too many! We need backup!" Wilson shouted and he crossed through the line of fire. The blistering heat of the sun was making it hard to breathe and my lungs were filling up with the moist oxygen._

_And there used to be days when I'd long for the blistering heat back in La Push. When days would be wet, cold and incredibly dull. And now I found myself wishing back for those days. I let out another string of profanities as I pushed myself back against the wall, somewhat hidden from the possible targets. If I had known that we'd stumble across this shitty hole filled with ammunition I would've stopped fooling around._

"_They're coming!" Wilson shouted and seconds after those words left his mouth a loud bang lifted all of us from our feet. Once again we were slammed against the dirty ground, our gear feeling heavier by the minute. I groaned out loudly and blinked a few times, the sun blinding me momentarily. I turned to my left as I heard a foreign tongue. _

"_Motherfuck-" I cut myself off immediately and pressed my lips together to keep myself from crying out too loudly. "Jackson! Wilson!" I shouted and I could hear Wilson on my left. _

"_You alright?" I shouted. "Wilson?"_

_"Brilliant!" Wilson shouted. His tone laced with sarcasm. "Jackson?" Both of us heard nothing but the foreign tongue and I realized that they were ganging up on us. I cursed._

"_Jackson! Stop fucking around!" I warned. "Jackson!" _

"_Paul!" A childlike voice said and I frowned. I recognized that voice and it surely couldn't be here in Iraq. "Paul!" _

"Paul!" Angela's voice penetrated my eardrums and I groaned as I got aware of the familiar tapping of rain. I let out a harsh breath and fluttered my eyes before opening them fully. Angela's face came in view and I eyed my six-year-old sister as she hovered above my head. I ignored the prickling sensation of fatigue at the back of my eyes and gave her a smile. She took a deep breath.

"Angela has been calling you for a long time!" She said evenly, her dark eyebrows frowning.

"Sorry honey." I muttered dryly. "I didn't hear you."

"Obviously." She huffed. "Angela heard you talking in your sleep." She pointed out. "Was it a bad dream?"

"Something like that." I said shortly and I lifted up the sheets before putting both of my feet on the cold wooden floor. "Have you eaten?" I asked her as I looked at the clock. Ten past eight. Why of why did she always feel the urge to wake up early on a Saturday morning? Must come from dad's side of the family. She shook her head and I nodded before shrugging on a simple tee.

"Well come on then. I'm in the mood for pancakes." A smile appeared on her doll like face and I refrained the urge to embrace her. If there was one thing she hated it had to be arms holding her down. If she initiated it then there was no problem but the second she felt caged she'd throw a fit. I chose the safe approach and put my hand on the back of her head, slowly nudging her forward. She descended the stairs loudly and I could hear her mutter some words to herself. I moved to the kitchen and to my surprise I saw dad.

"Dad? You're still here." I said surprised. He turned around and the resemblance to me was almost eerie. Dad gave me a smile, and it looked horribly misplaced.

"I'll be leaving shortly." He said and I nodded slowly before grabbing Angela by her forearms, hoisting her in one of the stairs as I could see her try to climb one of the chairs. She yelped in surprise but caught herself quickly.

As I stood in front of the stove, absentmindedly cooking Angela's pancakes I couldn't help but let my mind stray back to the dream. Memory would've been a more appropriate word. My first mistake that almost cost Jackson his life. I still felt the blistering heat on my back if I thought back of that day. It was almost two years ago, yet it felt like yesterday.

"Paul, I'll see you tonight." My dad announced and I could hear Angela struggle against his grip as he bent down to her, kissing her on her cheek. Her yelps were familiar, so were her protest and dad gave up on her and chose to pat her on the head instead. I heard the familiar huff as dad left. I turned around and saw Angela in her seat, looking at the table counter with focused concentration.

"Does Angela want some maple syrup?" I knew the answer but I had to pull her out of her hole.

"Yes please." She mumbled and I sighed before I grabbed the maple syrup and put it on the table, keeping it away from her twitchy fingers. I remember what happened last time with the maple syrup and it was not going to happen again. Trying to clean Angela was a fucking difficult task. One I wasn't ready to do now this early in the morning.

As both of us were done eating our breakfast the doorbell rang and Angela jumped down from the chair, ignoring my warnings and ran to the front door opening and moving out of the way all at the same time. From my seat I could see it was Jared and Kim. Kim greeted us loudly and gave Angela a flower, a daisy to be precise and Angela took the flower with as much enthusiasm she could muster before running to her couch in the corner.

"Morning guys." I said as Jared closed the door behind him. Kim gave me a hug and I rubbed her back. "You guys are early."

"Yeah." Kim began. "We thought you'd be up by now, especially since last night." She said and my thoughts immediately went to Ava.

"Right." I muttered as I picked up the dishes and moved to the kitchen sink.

"She's alright." Jared quipped. "Shaken perhaps but she's alright."

"Well according to her grandmother she has a slight fever." Kim informed and I nodded.

"And you're telling me this why?" I asked slowly. Kim crossed her arms and gave me a pointed look.

"Well, maybe you could... you know!"

"No." I drawled out. "I could what?"

"Paul!" Kim cried out exasperated. "Stop being so...so..." She trailed off before throwing her arms in the air.

"Annoying." Angela put in and I raised my eyebrows at her. She shrugged innocently and continued plucking the petals off the flower she got from Kim.

"Look Kim!" I began. "I barely know the girl and I know you really like the idea of matchmaking. But really, I'm not interested." I finished.

"Oh come on!" Jared responded incredulously. "You can't be serious. Have you seen Ava? She's really h-h-o..." Jared trailed off as he intercepted Kim's stink eye. I pressed my lips together to keep myself from grinning.

"What Jared means is she's real easy on the eyes." Kim responded stoically, her eyes still on her fiancé. Jared nodded quickly and put his on the back of his neck.

"Guys, I appreciate the effort but just because I kept her from drowning doesn't mean I'm into her. Right now I don't have the time nor am I interested in a fling and since my job keeps me from having a real relationship I doubt that someone else will stick around when I leave again."

Kim let out a deep sigh. "How do you know that? You haven't even tried."

"I have."

"Really?" She put her hands on the kitchen counter. "Just because Jessica was like that doesn't mean every girl is going to leave you when you get deployed again." My eyes shifted to Angela but she seemed oblivious enough. "It's almost insulting how you think of girls." I shrugged.

"It's the truth." I countered.

"You frustrate me!" Kim gritted out and she gave Jared a glare. "If you can't do it for yourself do it for me!" I raised my eyebrows. "Oh come on Paul! Give it a shot! What do you think Jared?"

"I think she's right." He said, and I rolled my eyes, turning my back on the couple.

"Whipped." I muttered under my breath.

"What was that?"

"Nothing." I breathed out. I turned around again and leant against the counter crossing my arms. "Look you guys, nice try but... right now I only have eyes for one girl in my life and that is Angela." I looked at my little sister as she murmured something to herself.

"Fine!" Kim exclaimed, her voice was high and squeaky and to my surprise I could see her eyes tear a bit. "Be like that!" She spun on her heel and trotted out of the front door.

"Thanks!" Jared said dryly and I scoffed.

"We both know Kim is a bit emotional." I defended.

"She's right though." I rolled my eyes again.

"That's easy for you to say Jared. You're getting married." Jared shrugged.

"You don't have to cut yourself short just because sometimes things don't go your way." Jared pointed out and I dropped my eyes to the ground. "Celibacy isn't the answer."

I snorted. "Who said anything about being celibate?" I asked and I could see the gears roll in his head. I couldn't keep the smirk from appearing.

"Smooth." Jared muttered as he punched my bicep. "Real smooth! Don't let Kim hear you say that though." He shook his head but I could see the ghost of a smile on his face as he moved out of the door. "Give her a try!" He said as he stood by the door. "You'd be surprised."

"I don't think she's waiting for a guy like me." I said and Jared shrugged.

"You never know until you give it a try." I let out a breath and turned around.

For some reason Jared and Kim both seemed far too interested in Ava Phillips and me. And for some reason I actually found myself reluctance on trying something with her. Why? I didn't know. Like I had said before, I wasn't the type of guy to remain celibate but something more permanent scared the shit out of me. I ran my hand through my hair when suddenly I felt some pressure on my leg. I looked down and saw that Angela was tugging on my pyjama bottoms. Her small hand was clutching the fabric before she wrapped her arms around my leg for a brief embrace. I softened seeing the small gesture and patted her head.

"Who is Ava?" She asked.

_**XXXXXXXXX**_

"Angela! Stay close." I ordered as Angela started to take off again. It was a twenty-four hour job trying to keep her near when you take her somewhere. I tried to grab her jacket but she was too fast for me and before I knew it she had taken off to one of the aisles. I let out a harsh breath and a curse. An elderly lady frowned when she heard me. "Sorry." I apologized and I quickly moved past her, ignoring her huffs. Sometimes it exasperated me how meddlesome people could be. Was it that hard to leave people alone?

As I raced through the aisles, my eyes still scanning for my little sister, I grabbed some groceries putting it in the cart all the while my eyes were more focused for the little six year old girl who had the tendency to disappear when she wished. If it were me I'd think she was more magical than she thought she was. And if I voiced that thought, it would delight Angela more than anything. The sparkle in her eyes would intensify and she'd be like Tinkerbelle for a few days.

Before I knew it I had all the groceries I needed yet there was no Angela. A brief panic went through me. This had never happened before. Angela did this often, but by now she'd be back. Trailing behind me with her favourite necessities. My eyes sought out the blue jacket she was wearing when suddenly I could see something blue flash before me in the mirror that hung from the ceiling. I let go of the cart and moved down the next aisle when I saw her look at a stranger with big eyes. Not responding, merely looking at her as the person talked to her.

"Angela!" I cried out and I quickly ran towards her grabbing her arm. "How many times have I told you? Don't walk away from me like that." Angela struggled against the hold I had on her jacket and I let her go. She stopped her struggling immediately and dropped her eyes to the ground. In her hands I could see the box of chocolate sprinkles. I turned around and eyed the stranger when I recognized it to be Ava. The surprise was evident on both of our faces.

"Ava?" I muttered and she gave me a nervous smile, feeling relieved I recognized her. She brushed some fallen strands behind her ear and shifted on her legs. Jared was right. She was easy on the eyes. She had big doe like eyes and a sharp small nose turning up on the end. Full lips, her lower lip slightly fuller than the upper. But it even out quite nicely. Her dark hair framed her face as most of it was pulled to the back with a ribbon. She looked even younger than I thought she was.

"Paul! Hi!" She said somewhat shyly. I gave her a small smile.

"This is uh Angela." I nudged to my little sister. She nodded slowly her eyes shifting from mine to Angela's. I knew what she was thinking. Everyone on the rez knew that Angela was my little sister but she was new. I gather she didn't necessarily knew the relationship between the two of us. "She's my sister." I continued. Somehow feeling the urge to point that out.

Another relieved smile appeared on her face and I could see the dimple on her left cheek. "Right, that's nice." She responded, feeling awkward. A silence fell over us and she blinked a few times before opening her mouth again. "She wanted the chocolate sprinkles but couldn't reach them."

I looked down at Angela and saw she had now returned giving Ava the curious looks. Angela never talked to anyone outside the family. Kim and Jared barely got words out of her and they knew her since she was born. She only reacted to Kim if she got a flower and Jared only got lucky on special occasions. I was the only one she truly trusted. Even though I had to leave her at least once a year.

"Thanks." I said and she nodded.

"Don't mention it."

"Angie, you ready to go?" I asked her and she didn't respond. She stared at Ava some more and Ava stared right back. I wondered when Angela was going to snap, she hated when people looked at her. No matter how they meant it.

"You're Ava." She suddenly spoke up and I had trouble hiding the surprise.

"You're Angela." Ava responded and Angela dropped her eyes again. I turned to Ava and I knew she could see the surprise on my face. She gave me another smile. She really had a lovely smile. "Well, I have to go." She said. "I'll see you around Paul. Bye Angela!" She gave me a small wave and I watched her leave the aisle.

"Come on honey." I murmured softly as I nudged Angela to follow me. She nodded and kept hold on the box of chocolate sprinkles as I tried to get rid of the shock. Angela _never _spoke to anyone yet Ava managed to get a word out of her in a matter of a few moments. How was that even possible?

_A/N: So despite my fetish for army men my knowledge is very limited so if you see some inaccuracies or mistakes I hope you guys can ignore that or point it out so I can either fix it or look out for it for future references. In the mean time please review, I love to hear from you guys! Reviews fuel my muze and of course, thoughts always keep me happy :D_


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